VENEZUELA, January 24, 2007.- Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage highlighted the importance of cooperation documents signed by Cuba and Venezuela as part of a regional process, hailing a "true integration of Latin American peoples." He listed agreements starting in 2001, which are currently over billions of dollars, general medical aid and eye operations described by Hugo Chavez as the biggest humanitarian mission ever. Trade has grown from 460 million in 2001 to 2.64 billion at the end of last year and the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) has proven to be ironclad against military and oil coup attempts. He stressed the importance of Bolivia and Nicaragua joining ALBA and said its success in annihilating the US-sponsored NAFTA deal is because it goes beyond integration of markets. "Instead of selfishness and individual concentration of wealth, it is sustained by socialist values of solidarity, brotherhood and the firm conviction that no suffering human should be left alone." The newly signed ALBA deals include 12 joint ventures in sectors like oil, tourism, communications and industry. (Cubaminrex-PL)
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